So I’m 55 pages in and the beta readers are getting their first chapters tonight. But I couldn’t tell you yet how many pages it will have at the end. Hopefully more than 120, because the most common complaint about book one is that it ended too soon.

But I’m not the kind of writer to overstay my welcome when I’m telling a story. The worst mistake we can make is to bore you, just so we can say we reached a magical number of pages that qualifies us as a “real” author.

In the past I hadn’t filed for unemployment, even though the company encouraged it. But we are a one income household these days and every bit helps. So I filed online and let me tell you, it is a bit depressing.

The only good thing about furloughs is the time off and the fact that you’re prohibited from working … unlike the rest of the year when it feels 24\7 at times.

So there will be lots of naps this week, some long walks with the dog, and hopefully, some progress on the new novel

Most of those sales have been at 99 cents, for which authors get a 35 cent royalty from Amazon. So you can do the math and see this book hasn’t exactly been a get-rich-quick scheme. Again, that wasn’t the point — it was to find readers who will come back year after year to read new novels.

I’d like to price the sequel to “Signs and Wonders” at $2.99 at least, in order to get the 70 percent royalty rate that kicks in at that price. Future novels will not be free on a regular basis, like S&W. I’d like to eventually take an annual vacation, something that hasn’t been possible since my wife started nursing school and our household income got cut in half.

But the question is what are YOU are willing to pay for the next novel?(Assume it will be longer, probably somewhere between 175 and 225 pages.) Be honest. It won’t help me if you answer the poll to make me feel good, but then don’t buy the next book because you don’t feel it’s worth that price.

This is the biggest competition (by far) for screenplays about faith. There’s very generous prizes for the three finalists, a trip to Los Angeles for a black-tie ceremony, and the chance to meet a bunch of people who can turn your screenplay into a film.

Who knows what will happen, but being named a semifinalist allows me to dream of the possibilities for the next few weeks

Yet it can be tantalizing and frustrating because it lets you get really, really close to finding the people who buy your book … and then make it tough to get information to them.

I speak, of course, of the LIKE button.

If you do a sales promotion on a site like Pixel of Ink or a free giveaway that gets mentioned on Inspired Reads, dozens of people might hit the like button. And it’s a fair assumption that these people — or at least most of them — have bought the book. They’re people who will want to know when your next work is available!

Yet Facebook gets very cranky about trying to become “friends” with these people. Try to connect with four or five at a time, and Facebook starts scolding you. And if someone declines your request, Facebook raps your knuckles with a ruler.

So … if you want to know how the new novel is coming and learn when it’s available, either friend me or “like” my Facebook author page — www.facebook.com/authoralex.

Today is my New Year’s holiday. I work in an industry that doesn’t take a day off, so holidays happen a few days before and a few days after the rest of the world gets theirs.

I’m certainly ready for a holiday — I’ve worked 14 of the past 15 days. Stephanie and I used that one day off to go visit her family … and there were two babies and three dogs, so you can imagine how restful that was

Stephanie is using one of her last free days before nursing school starts to paint the room where the bookcases and computer are. I’m going to get writing done today on the novel and do some plotting for a musical I’m working on.

P.S. It’s the first day in Iowa without political ads on the television and the radio! It really is New Year’s Day here.

While there’s something to be said about not putting all your eggs in one basket, Barnes & Noble, Apple and other retailers have not generated many sales over the past five months — perhaps a dozen, all told. Kindle and the paperback, combined, are 1,300+.

The big advantage to being exclusive with Amazon is they give you five days out of every 90 where you can schedule free promotions. I offered one this past Monday, which generated 3,000 free downloads, and have since sold 150 copies in the past 2 1/2 days. I also get paid if you check the book out through Amazon’s Kindle lending library, which is available now to their Amazon Prime customers.

If you don’t have a Kindle, the paperback is still available, through Amazon. It’s priced at $3.99 and arrives in just a few days.

And the angel said unto them:

Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you this day is born in the City of Bethlehem, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.”

That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Sunday, Dec. 11 — 6
Monday, Dec. 12 — 3
Tuesday, Dec. 13 — 7
Wednesday, Dec. 14 — 8
Thursday, Dec. 15 — 3
Friday, Dec. 16 — 7
Saturday, Dec. 17 — 5

Paperbacks: 0
Total for the week: 39
Total for the month: 96
Total to date: 952

Amazon UK: 19
Amazon US: 20